In this issue we look at: how to take the fear out of talking to an audience; finding out if you’ve got an eye for detail and preparing small adverts that really sell.

• Editor's Desk
• Bite 1
• Bite 2
• Bite 3
• Working Web
• Last Word

Giving an Effective Presentation

Have you ever had to give a formal talk to an audience? If so, you know how hard it can be.

It’s a peculiar thing that people are quite at ease when talking to a group of their friends, but find it hard to talk on the same subject when they are faced with strangers. The moment they have to stand up and talk to an audience, easy words become hard to say; their hands start to shake and they get an awkward feeling that everyone is looking at them.

But remember: an effective presentation - with visual aids - is often the decisive factor that ‘sells’ an idea or product. For it to work, though you need to:

- Prepare thoroughly 

- Present effectively

In a presentation the speaker cannot go back to explain things for his audience. There is no time for that. So you should speak in such a way that the listener understands everything you say the first time.

To make sure that this happens, you should:

- Speak at a reasonable speed - not too fast and not too slow.

- Pronounce your words clearly.

- Do not read directly from your notes.

(You may read too fast which could mean that your audience misses important points. Or even if you read at the right speed they will think you don’t know your subject properly - so use cards as reminders instead.)

Good organisation of material also helps the audience to understand. So remember to do the following:

- Organise your information logically.

- Give a clear introduction and state each point in your talk clearly.

- Summarise the main points again in your conclusion.

Finally, the smoother and more effective your techniques are, the more impressive your presentation will be. So always try to do the following:

1. Use simple language. (You can tell if they are having problems understanding you from their attitude and expressions.)

2. Look directly at your audience. (Looking at your audience makes them feel that you are addressing them personally.)

A good rule to remember is:

First tell them what you’re going to tell them.
Then tell them.
Finally tell them what you’ve told them!

It will make things easier for you if you break your presentation into five main phases:

1. Planning
2. Designing
3. Building
4. Polishing
5. Presenting

1. Planning

First you must make a plan - without it the final presentation will be muddled and difficult to follow. A good way to start is by asking the following questions:

Why are you giving the presentation? What is the objective? Is it to persuade your audience to make an order? Change their buying tactics? Adopt a new sales policy? What exactly?

Who are you giving it to? Find out as much as possible about your target audience. The size of the group, their age, their sex, their positions, experience and attitudes.

What are you going to say? What needs can you satisfy? What exactly are you offering them? Jot down the main aims and the major points.

How will you say it? Put yourself in the minds of your audience. What do they want to know and need to know? Then arrange the facts and arguments in order.

Where and When? Decide on the place and the time.

2. Designing

First think carefully what you are trying to achieve and then consider the main benefits that you are offering the target audience.

Now consider your audience:

What do they already know?
What are their probable negative attitudes?
What is their degree of prejudice and /or level of resistance.?

These questions must be thought about, researched and analyzed carefully. The more you know what to expect, the better you can deal with it.

Many people think that a talk is 10% preparation and 90% presentation. They could not be more wrong. Thorough preparation may make up to 95% of the work - the presentation itself just 5%.

3. Building

Once you have decided on what message you want to get over to your group or audience you should arrange your key points into a natural order. Try to estimate how long it will take you to cover each point. At the same time list what must be included, what should be and what could be if there is time.

If you do this, your final editing will be much easier. You simply edit from the bottom of the list (the coulds) and work up (through the shoulds) until you are left with the essentials (the musts) which you cannot edit out.

Most people worry about insufficient material, but the problem is usually having too much. You always think of extra things later. And it always takes longer than you originally estimated.

After you have done this you are ready to carry out any necessary research and think about the audio-visual aids you will use.

Remember: it’s not you who is important. It’s the audience and whether you can persuade them to accept your message.

4. Polishing

First divide the talk into individual sections - check the length and timing of each section. Write into your notes the minimum extra information you need to support your main points. Then plan where to introduce your visual aids. When you have done this, write up your notes on clearly numbered cards.

Then, practise your delivery. Identify any points that could be improved. Now rehearse the main points and visual aids together, using your note cards as guides.

If possible, check on the location where you will be giving the presentation. Is seating, power point location etc. what you need?

At this point you are ready for a full rehearsal. You’ll have the chance to discover and correct any errors or technical difficulties. It is a good idea to use a stopwatch to be absolutely sure of your timing.

Now you can see for the first time what your final presentation will look like. Remember, it’s still not too late to change, if you are unhappy with any parts of it.

5. Presentation

Here are some things that you SHOULD DO:

- Remember your appearance and voice - smile occasionally.

- Avoid mannerisms such as scratching your head, fiddling with your tie etc.

- Where possible keep to your planned order of presentation. But be flexible if necessary.

- Move logically through the various stages, referring to your notes quickly but not too often.

- Make sure that the key message is plain. Present it clearly and attractively. Then summarise the important facts and arguments and repeat where necessary.

- Use your visual aids sensibly. Point to them boldly but cover them when you’ve finished with them then they do not distract the audience.

- End effectively. Show the audience that you have achieved the original aims. End positively and memorably by recommending a course of action or proposing the next step.

- Distribute any supporting literature.

- Thank your listeners and invite them to ask questions.

And here is just one DON’T:

- Don’t say too much!

You may find that questions are asked and objections raised either during your presentation or at the end. Always listen carefully to the questions and rephrase them if they are not clear. you in other sections of the course.

Make your answers as simple and brief as possible. Never be aggressive or defensive. If you don’t know the answer to a question admit this and offer to find out - don’t waffle or try to bluff.

Above all, try to be relaxed and answer politely and confidently.

In Conclusion...

Only real practice can make you a good speaker. Just reading about it can never do that. But being self-conscious and nervous doesn’t help. So good planning and organisation, and thinking positively, are the only ways to improve. This will also help you to control your nerves.

But this next little piece of advice may help you: Address a group as if it were a single person. Use the same movements, gestures and pauses as you would to a friend over a coffee - but project your voice more.

Get the audience with you at the start. Use a smile!

As you proceed try to avoid the following:

talking too fast
hesitating
mumbling
poor eye-contact
fiddling with something

And, if possible, don’t use a script! People haven’t come to hear you recite a prepared script. They want to listen to you - look at your eyes; see your brain working; assess your personality as well as your proposition.

Instead, plan your speech properly, as we’ve shown you. Make sure that you know exactly what you want to say. Then put the main points onto cards, in the correct order so that you can use them as ‘prompts’.